RKNet Blog... Thing

Admittedly, I’m an Internet n00b (does anyone even say that anymore?) Sure, I was chatting away with the best of ‘em on AOL in 1995, but it’s only within the last year (since I began work at an internet marketing company) that I’ve thought to embrace any browser other than Internet Explorer, any email client other than hotmail. I shudder to think that just a year ago, good ol’ IE held my hand while I traipsed naively through the interwebs, but, since then I feel I’ve taken strides, leaps, cross-country flights in the right direction; and today I’m proud to say that, Internet junkie or not, I am a bit of a Firefox whore.

I’m not web-developer. I can’t code (yet). I dabble in SEO but have barely scratched the surface. No, I’m just your average Internet user, and below is a list of the apps I like. Applications come and go, and I’ll admit, I try more than my fair-share. But, some add-ons stand their ground and prove useful and pleasant day in and day out– even, or perhaps especially, for the Internet n00b like me.

Interclue

Mouse over a link and, in the top right corner of the term an icon indicating the location appears. Wikipedia shows up as a small W, Newsweek as a red box with a white N, and so on. Mouse over this icon, and a window pops up where the contents of the link is displayed like its own separate page. It’s not just a preview. Most of the time the entire contents of the page will be given; a scroll bar down the right side if necessary.

There are actually several link-preview applications on Firefox, but I’ve found Interclue to be the least intrusive. Many pop-up with an unintentional mouse-over and stay-up, blocking half the page and contributing to my overall level of irritation (one that sits quietly in the background of my average workday.)

Cooliris

I love this photo and video viewer. Cooliris turns your browser into a 3-D screen for viewing photos, images and videos. From browsing a friend’s Facebook album, to searching for videos on you-tube, Cooliris is convenient, easy and fun to use. It also features a “discover” section, where images and videos of the latest news, sports, art and entertainment are posted. Click on the image and you’ll be taken directly to its source. Only one complaint: a right mouse-click won’t bring up the option to save the photo.

Twitterbar

Post to directly to Twitter from your address bar. Your 140 characters count down as you type, and a clicking a conveniently placed green arrow signifies you’re ready to post. The login window pops up to confirm so you don’t end up posting random urls every time you hit enter. Quick and easy!

Colorful Tabs

Simple and pretty. Colorful tabs makes each tab you bring up a different color. Nothing fancy, but a pleasant add-on that might help you organize your tabs while browsing.

Better Gmail 2

Better Gmail 2 is a fairly straightforward enhancement of the web-based mail client of the same name. The application offers new skins (my favorite is the Gmail redesign: complete redesign), file attachment icons and hierarchical labels.

So there you have it, the beloved apps of an internet newbie.

I never thought I would be able to turn to a webcomic to astutely sum up the values of restraint and respecting others perspectives (regardless of what you may think of them.

I just discovered WE THE ROBOTS, a thrice-weekly strip in ye old internet, a little earlier.
While skimming through the backlog from the current strip, I spotted a few that made me chuckle and whatnot, then I spotted this one.

In six panels, it not only adequately sums up my extreme distaste for professional sports, but also beautifully embodies why it is not necessarily a good idea to tell people exactly what you think. Give it a peek and discuss.

Is it better to say what you think, regardless of tact, or keep quiet if you think you might insult someone?

Recently I was turned on to a little video blog known as “The Show with Ze Frank”. (Ze is pronounced like “hey” if you’re curious.) If you haven’t been, I suggest giving it a try. He’s been at this now for the larger part of this year and from what I’ve seen, has gotten more hilarious, insightful, and entertaining with each passing episode.

This project of his also boasts a really involved community. I haven’t had a chance to get involved with the community, but I’m sure if I did, I’d find quite the fascinating conversation amongst all the sports racers.

I raced to my RSS reader panel this afternoon to get my daily dose of Ze, and what do I see but a link that says Shhh..a duck. Lo and behold, it’s a link to new merchandise related to The Show! And it is truly terrifying to behold.

I loves me some duckies, but I have to say these are about as abstract and avant garde as you can make a rubber ducky. (Well, not counting the I Rub My Duckie, that is. NSFW)

I actually bought a page duckie recently, to show my support of the show. Not as sure if I’m on board for one of the new, non-digital duckies yet. I figure I’ll keep checking back, keep watching the show, perhaps in time the idea will grow on me.

It’s a sad day when Pat Robertson may have actually said something valuable. Moreso when he’s actually smarter about something than our President. (Not that I’m saying that Bush is any smarter than him, it’s just that our country’s leader should be smarter than your typical evangelist.)

Castro took a tumble recently. He’s old but rugged. The article is full of cutesy flourishes of description, worth taking a peek at even if it’s a pretty minor event. I may be misinterpreting, but I think he actually drove himself back to Havana. I think that’s pretty awesome. When I’m supreme mistress of the world at large, I wanna drive myself around.

GO RED SOX!! WHOOO!!! The New York Times’ take on the win seems the most fitting. It doesn’t come up with a direct link! :gonk: Hit Google. I didn’t end up watching the game myself but it’s pretty exciting nevertheless. It’s the first time the team has made it to the Series since ‘86. I know a lot of people who are going to be freaking out. Me, personally, I hate baseball; how do you ignore it, though, when the whole world around you seems caught up in the tidal wave? Yesterday I saw a woman in the store with two mylar Yankees balloons and I had to smirk and peek around for irate Sox fans. It never ceases to amuse me how worked up people get over baseball, or any other sport for that matter. I’ll find it really funny if they play against the Cardinals, because the first real baseball game I ever attended was a St. Louis Cardinals game. I couldn’t even tell you who they played against, what the score was, or any of that. It was a school trip and I just enjoyed meandering the huge stadium unattended.

In me-related news, I got new pants and stuff. They’re dreamy. I’m gonna be a samurai for halloween. (See also: Creative Uncut’s Disgaea Vault if that doesn’t work. She’s second from the left, third row up from the bottom.) Unless of course I don’t get off my dead ass and get the actual materials.